Handbook of Extractive Metallurgy

Edited by Fathi Habashi

Volume II: Primary Metals

Secondary Metals
Light Metals
#

CD WILEY-VCH
Weinheini Chichester New York Toronto Brisbane Singapore

Professor Fathi Habashi

Universite Laval
Departement de Mines et de Metallurgic
Quebec G1K 7P4
Canada

Preface

Extractive metallurgy is that branch of metallurgy that deals with ores as raw material and metals as finished Table as in chemistry textbooks. The system used here is according to an economic classification which
products. It is an reflects mainly the uses, the occurrence, and the economic value of metals. First, the ferrous metals, i.e., the
ancient art that production of iron, steel, and ferroalloys are outlined. Then, nonferrous metals are subdivided into primary,
This book was carefully produced. Nevertheles, the editor, the autors and publisher do not warrant the
information contained therein to be free of errors. Readers are advised to keep in mind that statements,
has
been secondary, light, precious, refractory: scattered, radioactive, rare earths, ferroalloy metals, the alkali, and the
data, illustrations, procedural details or other items may inadvertently be inaccurate.
transformed
alkaline earth metals.
into a modern
Although the general tendency today in teaching extractive metallurgy is based on the fundamental
science as a aspects rather than on a systematic description of metal extraction processes, it has been found by
result
of experience that the two approaches are complementary. The student must have a basic knowledge of
Editorial Directors: Karin Sora, Ilse Bedrich
developments in metal extraction processes: hydro-, pyro-, and electrometallurgy, and at the same time he must have at his
Production Manager: Peter I. Biel
chemistry
and disposal a description of how a particular metal is extracted industrially from different raw materials and
Cover Illustration: Michel Meyer/rnmad
chemical
know what are its important compounds. It is for this reason, that this Handbook has been conceived.
engineering.
The Handbook is the first of its type for extractive metallurgy. Chemical engineers have already had their
The
present Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook for over fifty years, and physical metallurgists have an impressive
volume
is
a 18-volume ASAT A-fetals Handbook. It is hoped that the present four volumes will fill the gap for modern
collective work extractive metallurgy.
of a number of
The Handbook is an updated collection of more than a hundred entries in Ullmayn:s Encyclopedia of
Library of Congress Card No. applied for
authors in which Industrial Chemistry written by over 200 specialists. Some articles were writ ten specifically for the
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
metals,
their Handbook Some problems are certainly faced when preparing such a vast amount of material. The
history,
following may be mentioned:
properties,

Although arsenic, antimony, bismuth, boron, germanium, silicon, selenium, and tellurium are
extraction
metalloids because they have covalent and not metallic bonds, they are included here because most of
technology, and
them are produced in metallurgical plants, either in the elemental form or as ferroalloys.
most important
n Each chapter contains the articles on the metal in question and its most important inorganic compounds.
inorganic
compounds and
However, there are certain compounds that are conveniently described together and not under the metals in
Die Deutsche Bibtiothek CIP-Einheitsaufnahme
Handbook of extractive metallurgy / ed. by Fathi Habashi.
toxicology are
question for a variety of reasons. These are: the hydrides, carbides, nitrides, cyano compounds, peroxo
Weinheim ; New York ; Chichester ; Brisbane ; Singapore ; Toronto :
systematically
compounds, nitrates, nitrites, silicates, fluorine compounds, bromides, iodides, sulfites, thiosulfates,
WILEY-VCH ISBN 3-527-28792-2
described.
dithionites, and phosphates. These are collected together in a special supplement entitled Special Topics, under
Vol. 1. The metal industry, ferrous metals. 1997
preparation.
Metals
are
Vol. 2. Primary metals, secondary metals, light metals. 1997
neither arranged Because of limitation of space, it was not possible to include the alloys of metals in the present work.
Vol. 3. Precious metals, refractory metals, scattered metals, radioactive metals, rare earth metals. 1997
by alphabetical
Another supplement entitled Alloys is under preparation.
Vol. 4. Ferroalloy metals, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals; Name index; Subject index. 1997
order as in an Since the largest amount of coke is con sumed in iron production as compared to other metals, the
encyclopedia,
articles "Coal" and "Coal Pyrolysis" are included in the chapter dealing with iron.
nor
according
VCH Verlagsgesellschaft rnbH A Wiley company,
I am grateful to the editors at VCH Verlags gesellschaft for their excellent cooperation, in particular Mrs.
D-69451 Weinheim, Federal Republic of Germany, 1997
to the Periodic Karin Sora who followed the project since its conception in 1994, and to
Printed on acid-free and low-chlorine paper
All rights reserved (including those of translation into other languages). No part of this book may be
reproduced in any form by photoprinting, microfilm, or any other means nor transmitted or translated
into a machine language without written permission from the publishers. Registered names, trademarks, etc. used
in this book, even when not specifically marked as such, are not to be considered unprotected by law.
Composition: Jean Francois Morin, Quebec, Canada
Printing : Strauss Offsetdruck GmbH, D-69509 Morlenbach
Bookbinding: Wilhelm Oswald & Co., D-67433 Neustadt/WeinstraBe
Printed in the Federal Republic of Germany

vi

Jean-Francois Morin at Laval University for

his expertise in word processing.
The present work should be useful as a reference work for the practising engineers and the
students of metallurgy, chemistry, chemical engineering, geology, mining, and mineral beneficiation. Extractive metallurgy and the chemical
industry are closely related; this Handbook will

Handbook ofErfractive Metallurgy

therefore be useful to industrial chemists as well.

It can also be useful to engineers and scientists
from other disciplines, but it is an essential aid
for the extractive metallurgist.

Table of Contents
Volume I
Part One

Fathi Habashi

The Metal Industry

Part
Seven

1 The Economic Classification of Metals

4
1
2 Metal Production.......... 15
3 Recycling of Metals....... 21
4 By-Product Metals...........23

Part Two

Ferrous Metals
5 Iron ....................................29
6 Steel.................................269
7 Ferroalloys......................403

34
35
36
37
38
39

Primary Metals
8 Copper............................491
9 Lead.................................581
10 Zinc .................................641
11 Tin.....................................6g3
12 Nickel .............................715

Part Nine

Part Five

Light Metals
19 Beryllium..........................955
20 Magnesium ...................981
21 Aluminum.......................1039
22 Titanium .................... 1129

fiblume III
Part Six

Precious Metals
23 Gold............................... 1183
24 Silver........................... 1215
25 Platinum Group
Metals ......................... 1269

Germanium................... 1505
Gallium.......................... 1523
Indium ......................... 1531
Thallium........................ 1543
1557
Selenium........................
1571
Tellurium.......................

Radioactive Metals
40 General.......................... 1585
41 Uranium........................ 1599
42 Thorium........................ 1649
43 Plutonium...................... 1685

Part Four Secondary Metals

13 Arsenic.............................795
14 Antimony..........................823
15 Bismuth............................845
16 Cadmium..........................869
17 Mercury............................891
18 Cobalt ............................923

Tungsten........................ 1329
Molybdenum................. 1361
Niobium........................ 1403
Tantalum ..................... 1417
Zirconium...................... 1431
1459
Hafnium.........................
1471
Vanadium...................... 1491
Rhenium........................

Part Eight Scattered Metals

Volume II
Part
Three

Refractory Metals
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33

Part Ten

Rare Earth Metals

44 General.......................... 1695
45 Cerium...........................
1743

Volume IV
Part
Eleven

Part
Twelve

Ferroalloy Metals
46 Chromium ...................
47 Manganese.................... 1761
48 Silicon ......................... 1813
49 Boron............................. 1861
1985

Alkali Metals

50
51
52
53
54

Lithium..........................
Sodium........................... 2029
Potassium...................... 2053
Rubidium....................... 2141
Cesium........................... 2211
2215

viii

55 Alkali Sulfur Compounds2221

Part
Alkaline Earth Metals
Thirteen 56 Calcium.....................2249

Handbook of Extractive Metallurgy

Part Three
Primary Metals

57 Strontium....................2329
58 Barium.......................2337

Authors.....................2355
Name Index.................2375

Subject Index.............2379

Be
MgLiAl

Na

B C NC IFN e
V

Cr Mn Fe C
Sc Ti

Mo To Ru R
Zr h
Sr
Ta W Re Os Ir
Cs Ba Litt Hf

Nb

Pd Ag Cd In
Pt Au Hg

Po At Rn

Ra Ac
Ce

Pr

Nd

Pm

Sm

Eu

Th

Pa

Np

Pu

Am

Tb
Cm

Ho
Bk

Cf

Er Tm

Es

Ca

Rb

Fr

Fm

Md.

Yb

Lu

No

Lr